Bambaataa, Ventures, Madonna and Beasties among Rock Hall nominees

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this morning announced nominees for induction next year, and it's an impressive slate: Afrika Bambaataa, Beastie Boys, Chic, Leonard Cohen, The Dave Clark Five, Madonna, John Mellencamp, Donna Summer and the Ventures.

Five of the nine nominees will be inducted in a ceremony next March. But why only five? All nine are worthy, if you buy into the idea that rock 'n' roll needs some sort of institutional endorsement to be celebrated or considered culturally important, which is ridiculous. In fact, I'm on record as thinking the notion of a Rock Hall is pretty dumb.

There's been a debate for years about why the Dave Clark Five isn't already in the Rock Hall, and I'm wondering the same thing about poet and singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen and surf-rock pioneers the Ventures — two of the most influential acts, each in their own way, of the past 50 years.

Rock purists will sneer at Afrika Bambaataa and the Beasties, and probably Madonna, too, but the influence of rap on rock (and vice versa) is undeniable at this point, and Madonna has been, for better or worse, an equally huge influence on the direction of popular music in the 25-odd years since she hit it big.

So let 'em all in, Rock Hall. Just think of the marketing opportunities ...

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1 Comments

I am very frustrated with the people that vote in the Rock and Roll Hall Famers. You stated the notion of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is "dumb." I totally agree with you, but on a different level. This year they have Madonna as a nominee. Last year one of the nominees was Hall and Oates. Give me a break. true rock enthusiates will say. What happened to Chicago, Three Dog Night, Moody Blues and Alice Cooper just to name a few of the Rock legeneds of the past that are not yet in the Rock and Roll Hall of Shame. There is a line from a AC/DC song that peppers what I believe. "It is a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll." The nominees this year like past years do not rock and roll.

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Eric R. Danton is rock critic for The Hartford Courant, covering (to varying degrees) everything that's not jazz or classical music, with an emphasis on the local scene. ... read more